Breathing App for iPhone: Guided Exercises to Relax and Focus

What BreathInU does on iPhone

BreathInU guides short breathing sessions: you pick a goal (less stress, better focus, deeper sleep, more energy) and follow a visual pacer that shows each inhale, hold and exhale. Most sessions take 2 to 5 minutes.

The app also includes neck and shoulder stretches, eye exercises and paced walking, so a break can work on your whole body, not only your breath.

Breathing exercises in the app

The Breathing category includes:

• Simple Breath (cardiac coherence): 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, no holds. A steady rhythm for any time of day. See the cardiac coherence guide.
• Box Breathing: inhale 4s, hold 4s, exhale 4s, hold 4s. A focus tool before a meeting or a hard task. See the box breathing guide.
• Steady Box 4-6: a variation with shorter breaths (4s) and longer holds (6s).
• Pursed-Lip Breathing: inhale for 2s, exhale for 4s through almost-closed lips. Useful for breathlessness or stress. See the pursed-lip guide.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing: belly breathing to release tension and improve oxygen exchange. See the diaphragmatic guide.
• Lateral Breathing: expand the ribs sideways to improve posture and lung capacity. See the lateral breathing guide.
• Alternate Nostril Breathing: a calming yoga technique for balance and focus. See the alternate nostril guide.

Each exercise shows a shape that grows and shrinks with the breath, with a sound cue at each change (a crystal bowl, a Tibetan bowl, or silence). You can close your eyes and still follow along.

iPhone features

• Widgets: a home screen or Lock Screen widget shows your streak and opens the app in one tap.
• Siri and Shortcuts: start an exercise by voice or automate it in your daily routine. See Siri, Spotlight and Shortcuts.
• Apple Health: your sessions are saved as mindful minutes, so they appear in the Health app and count toward your daily goals.
• Haptic feedback: a gentle vibration at each inhale and exhale if you turn the sound off.
• Streak and stats: track how many days in a row you practiced, and see your total sessions and minutes.

When to use a breathing app

• Morning: a short session before the first email to set your focus.
• Between meetings: 1 to 2 minutes of box breathing to reset.
• After a stressful message: one round of slow breathing before you reply.
• Before sleep: 4-6 breathing or breathing for sleep to wind down.

The iPhone is already in your pocket, so starting a session is quick. The widget means you can begin without opening the app first.

BreathInU vs other breathing apps

Most breathing apps are built around meditation, with long sessions, voice-overs and subscription walls before the basics. BreathInU is built for short breaks:

• Sessions start at 40 seconds.
• No voice-over unless you want it; just a pacer and a sound.
• Stretching, walking and eye exercises alongside breathing.
• Free to try; the subscription unlocks all exercises and customisation.

Download the breathing app

BreathInU is free on the App Store. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with your progress synced through iCloud.

If you want to learn the techniques first, start with breathing techniques explained or the breathing for stress hub.